Open Sesame

The cement wall at Maxwell Place park was up for less than three hours after it was torn down by Toll Brothers yesterday afternoon around four o'clock. After Mayor Dave Roberts pleaded to both the state Department of Community Affairs and the Governor's office to help him run his city, Toll Brothers bowed to both public and official pressure and removed the wall.

The Department of Community Affairs told Toll Brothers the construction company would not be fined if the entrance was opened, said Roberts. (There was some concern that a truck would drive through the opening and collapse the park, which is built atop an underground parking garage.) Read on to hear Roberts compare himself to Rosa Parks (and Bruce Springsteen).

"DCA said all they (Toll Brothers) had to do was ask to remove the fence," said Roberts this morning. "Instead of lamenting it, Toll Brothers couldn't get that fence up fast enough when they were first given the order."

"This was a real accomplishment for the city. Like Rosa Parks, we would not go quietly. We stood up and said, 'no!," said Roberts. "This whole week has been like a Bruce Springsteen song, really - we've had our disappointments and arguments."

Funny - yesterday morning, a Maxwell Place resident asked construction workers if they were indeed sealing up the park. "Good!" she shouted. Do Maxwell Place residents want the park all to themselves?

And how will they react to the news that Mayor Roberts wants to hold community events on the acre of lawn?

"Concerts, plays, volleyball games - we want to make Hoboken residents feel this is part of their city," said the mayor.

From a wanna-be private park to concerts! That should make Maxwell Place residents thrilled.